Computing devices are routinely used at work, at home, and everywhere else. Computing devices advantageously enable electronic communication, data sharing (e.g., documents, pictures, music, film, etc.), the use of application-specific software, and access to information for electronic commerce through the Internet and other computer networks.
The term computing device generally refers to desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile computing devices (e.g., personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell-phones, etc.), as well as any other type of computer system. A computing device typically includes many components such as processors, memory, disk drives, as well as many other types of electronic devices, electromechanical devices, and mechanical devices.
The components used in computing devices, as well as other types of high technology electrical, electromechanical, and mechanical devices typically need to be assembled in a very precise and cost effective manner. Cost effectiveness includes that complex components need to be assembled in a very time effective manner with a very low error rate—even though many of the components require highly precise assembly. Also, many of these types of devices need to be assembled in a very clean fashion in which debris and contamination particles are kept to a minimum.
Many manufacturing devices include an end effecter and a work piece that is mounted to a fixture. The work piece being a device that is being assembled with various components. The end effecter typically takes a component and attaches the component in a pre-designated manner to the device being assembled. Unfortunately, with the increased precision assembly requirements to create today's high technology devices, many effecters are not aligned accurately enough with the device being manufactured during the assembly process which results in device assembly failures and increased costs. For example, oftentimes the end effecter is not aligned in a sufficiently parallel manner with the device to precisely assemble components to the device.
Accordingly, techniques to more accurately align an end effecter to a device being manufactured are sought after.